Why it is not a good idea to enforce gym selfies ban

It seems that mirrors at gyms are very magical as many people choose to take mirror selfies during exercises. A famous fitness corporation Les Mills had done a research and found a quarter of people who do exercises at gyms take selfies. However, it is not the end. When I browse Instagram, I found that a large numbers of gym selfie enthusiasts have posted their photos online (Picture 1 and 2).

It cannot be denied that gym selfies is an arresting trend on social media now. Many gym-goers like it, while some really do not enjoy it and think gym selfies should be banned. Les Mills’s research also found that 39% of respondents hope gym selfies ban can be enforced. In order to make people concentrate on doing exercises and avoid any gym selfies, a gym called Lift Performance Centre in Sydney does not install any mirror. The owner believes this way can indirectly ban the behaviour of taking gym selfies. However, the other gym has a more thorough act. Just in early May, a gym called City Fitness in Christchurch, New Zealand indeed launched the gym selfies ban (picture 3). It could be a piece of good news for gym-goers who are unhappy with the behaviour of taking gym selfies.

“I hope this ban can be enforced in Australia as soon as possible,” Susan Zhang, a student of University of Sydney said. Especially when a gym is very crowded, “I really cannot stop worrying that my unattractive figure may appear in others’ selfies”.

Even though prohibiting gym selfies can meet the wish of some people, the ban is really not a good idea. It has some irrationality.

People who take gym selfies have different motivations and purposes. It cannot be denied that some people take gym selfies simply because they have the intention of showing themselves. Robert Hassan, an associate professor of the University of Melbourne who studies Media and Communications thought that those people who like taking selfies at gyms have narcissism and the obsession with the self. “Smartphones and social media allow them to indulge in,” Professor Hassan said. To some selfies enthusiasts, with the help of social media such as Instagram, taking gym selfies has become a way of entertainment to achieve self-appreciation in public. However, it does not mean that taking gym selfies should be considered totally negative.

In fact, taking selfies is a good way for many people to be in charge of individual figure. May Zhao is a 22-year-old girl who lives in Melbourne. Since December 2015, she began to lose weight by taking exercises at gym and implementing diet plan. She said she goes to gym every day and taking gym selfies is her habit as well. “I specially register a social media account to post my everyday gym selfies,” May said. The account is for losing weight only, and her friends in everyday life normally do not know it. All photos posted are her full-figure at gym. “Through taking these photos, I can keep track of my progress of losing weight well.”

From December 2015 to this May, the change of May’s figure can be clearly found through observing gym selfies. “This big progress is visible,” May said. She felt a little proud and she indicated that she has confidence to keep going.

To the group of people who are controlling their figure, the benefit of gym selfies cannot be ignored. Gym selfie can be viewed as a weight watcher, and brings them encouragement and some potential reflections. In this situation, totally banning gym selfies means depriving some people’s rights of improving themselves. It seems inhuman.

It is clear that an important reason for gyms to ban gym selfies is eliminating gym-goers’ worries as some do not want to become background characters of others’ selfies. In some area of gyms, this kind of worries is indeed necessary. “One time, after a shower I went to the changing room without clothes on, I just found two girls were taking selfies,” Margaret Zhu, a girl who studies in the University of Sydney said. “It is really an embarrassment.” Thus, fully giving consideration to everyone’s privacy in changing room is undoubtedly true. It would be thoughtful if a gym bans selfies in the changing room. However, it is unreasonable to ban gym selfies in all areas of gyms.

“Enforcing selfies ban in changing room is a good and satisfactory idea, but it is unfair to ban taking pictures at training area,” Margaret said. “If people are allowed to take pictures at restaurants and tourist attractions, why can’t at training areas of gyms?” She thought there are also many consumers at restaurants and a large numbers of tourists at scenic spots. Especially on the beach, if a person takes pictures, some people with less clothing are very likely to be photographed as well. “Restaurants and scenic spots are tolerated, why gyms are not.”

I am not sure whether someone in public places such as restaurants and touristic attractions has complained about being photographed, but the fact is many of public places allow photography except involving something secret. Apparently, excluding changing rooms and bathrooms, gym is not a complete private place and do not have top secrets which cannot be published. Therefore, simply because some gym-goers worry about being photographed in others’ selfies, enforcing selfies in all areas of gyms is a little bit extreme.

Certainly, it is true to consider some gym-goers’ feelings of disliking being background characters of others’ selfies. However, except the way of enforcing bans, gyms have some alternative solutions actually.

The first solution is respectively setting a selfie zone and a selfie-banned zone at gyms. As a fitness industry consultant Graeme Hinde suggested in an interview that dividing gyms into two parts. Gym-goers are allowed to take selfies in the special zone, and others who do not like selfies can stay at the selfie-banned zone comfortably.

This method has a benefit as well. That is, it can avoid loss of customers. If a gym enforces selfies ban, nobody can guarantee that customers could not leave. “The ban is harsh to me,” May said. “I have the habit of taking selfies every day, so if the gym I go bans selfies, I would choose to go to another.” Therefore, it is fair to say leaving an area for selfies enthusiasts can retain customers potentially.

Keeping a selfie zone at gyms is also possible to expand gyms’ popularity on social media platforms. As Mr Hinde explained, gyms can encourage those selfies enthusiasts to use a hashtag of the gym’ name when posting their gym selfies on social media. In the view of business, selfies enthusiasts can play an important role on the advertising of gyms.

Thus, an alternative solution can not only solve the problem of some gym-goers’ complain, but also can keep away from some possible loss and bring potential business. That is, it seems unwise to enforce a selfies ban hastily.

The other possible solution I think is effective is decreasing numbers of mirrors at gyms. Mirror is an important part at modern gym, and it normally occupies a whole side of the wall (picture 5). It means that when people take mirrors selfies, mirror can reflect an extremely wide scope of scene so that other surrounding people are very likely involved. If a gym selectively removes mirrors of some areas, the scope of mirror will shrink, and the reflected scope can be limited as well. Accordingly, others are not easily involved into selfiers’ lens.

Moreover, a possible result is that people who like taking selfies will leave those areas where have no mirrors and gather to the areas mirror existed. This way can indirectly arranged gym-goers to their respective suitable areas as well. As a result, any possible uncomfortable feelings of people who do not like gym selfies can be reduced.

In the current environment that smartphone has cameras and social media is popular, gym selfies is just a kind of selfies culture. Like general selfies, though gym selfies is controversial, its existence is reasonable in nature. To some gym-goers, it has the function of encouragement. To gyms, through applying social media, gym selfies can also bring potential benefits. To audiences, although many people feel annoyed about others gyms selfies on social media, gym selfies has positive effects indeed. “When I lie on the bed and see my friends’ selfies at gyms, I would be encouraged and get up to take exercise,” Margaret said. She thought seeing others’ gym selfies has the function of rousing her own motivation.

On the contrary, if gym selfies are not allowed, there are still some uncertainties need to be solved. As Professor Hassan said, tricky questions will appear, “who would police it?” Besides, would gym selfies be made an offence? Banning gym selfies will refer other considerations. It is not as simple as a ban on the board.